The Heart Never Lies
by Annie Baker
Summary: "Things seemed like they weren't going to end very well. The Volturi were going to kill my family, and there was nothing I could do about it. So Jacob took me away to save me, but I want to know what happened to my family..."
1. An Alternate Ending

"Things seemed like they weren't going to end very well. The Volturi were going to kill my family, and there was nothing I could do about it. So Jacob took me away to save me, but I want to know what happened to my family..."

I was young. _Very young._ But I was old enough to comprehend the situation at hand.

They were all going to die, because of me. Because of my size and the fact that I was no match for a full vampire when I was only half meant that there was absolutely nothing I could do to help. That was heartbreaking. All I could do was sit on my werewolf's back and watch as my family, and others who I considered to be my friends, faced the Volturi. I had been told about this moment, as Mom and Dad had explained it to me over and over again. 'What they would like to happen, what was probably going to happen, and what I should do in either case.'

If it were to all go wrong they told me that Jacob would take care of me. I understood that they didn't think they'd make it out alive. After all, Alice and Jasper left and that could only mean one thing. I was terrified for my family, because I loved all of them so much. The tears had streamed down my eyes when they said goodbye to me. It was like I'd never see them again, and I felt my little heart shatter into millions of pieces. I watched the scene unfold, as a seemingly endless amount of vampires followed the Volturi. Was I really that big of a deal? Tears fell down my cheeks again as I looked at my family who stood bravely in front of me to protect me. They were kissing, Mom and Dad, Auntie Rose and Uncle Em, Carlisle and Esme. All of them, as if it were their final goodbyes. I couldn't look anymore as I buried my face into Jacob's furry back. It did help me some to know that my Jacob was going to come with me if all went wrong. I didn't know why, but he was like a big brother, and I loved him just like I loved my family.

Things seemed to be going alright, but quickly took a turn for the worse. It was obvious that the Volturi were looking for any excuse to fight and kill, and it looked like they were going to get their way. So when I heard a voice say, "It's time to go" I was not surprised. I had everything I needed, since my mom had so kindly arranged it all for me. I had a bag to hold it all, the passports, the money, the scrapbook, the gifts. The locket from my mom was around my neck, as that was it's permanent place. As well as the bracelet around my wrist that was given to me from Jacob. He said it was something very special, and I'd understand when I was older. I think I understood well enough now, knowing that he cared for me.

Jacob didn't seemed to thrilled about leaving his pack either. I felt bad, knowing the strong bond they shared was about to be broken. It didn't look good for either of us, but we would be alive and together, and that's all my family seemed to want for me. I would never forget that they did this for me.

Jacob turned his back on the action quickly, only giving me seconds to turn my head and take one last quick glance at the people I loved the most before we ran off to our new future.

"They'll survive! They'll come for me!" I had told myself as Jacob ran as far away from the fight as he could. I repeated it to myself all the way to our new location.

I had been telling that to myself for the past seven years.


	2. A Life On The Move

**7 Years Later**

The silence had filled my world. And like the sad little girl I'd become, I had welcomed it with open arms. Only in silence was I able to think back on happy days. But was that really healthy for me? The answer was easy...of course not. I should have moved on by now, but I had made the promise that I'd never forget.

I had hoped my family would come for me shortly after Jacob and I were forced to leave. We had gone to our predetermined destination, and waited there several months. I wasn't allowed to leave the hotel much, due to my rapid growth. And we could only stay in one hotel for two weeks at the most. But in those several months, there was no sign of any vampire, and we were forced to move because of my noticeable growth.

There was one thing I was absolutely sure of. Demetri was dead. If he were alive, and the Volturi had won the fight, he would have tracked me down by now. That didn't mean that the Volturi didn't win, because there was a definite possibility that they were still looking for me. Which is exactly the reason Jacob encouraged moving so often and not leaving the hotels much so I could keep a low profile. Although if my family won and were looking for me, we were making that very difficult for them as well.

Jacob forbid me to return to Forks. With no idea of the outcome of the fight, there was no way of knowing who was lying in wait for us in that town. But I _had_ to go back. I needed to know what happened. There was an incredibly good chance that Alice and Jasper were still alive, knowing that they weren't even present at the time of the fight. Maybe Alice could tell me what happened, if I failed to find anyone else. Or what about all of those witnesses? _Someone_ was out there that could tell me everything, so I could finally ease my restless heart and empty world.

Right now we were in France. It was tough being here and not knowing how to speak their language. We were also dangerously close to Italy, home to the surviving Volturi (if any). The killer part was that we had no idea of who survived and who died. Jake and I usually, and unwillingly, got into conversations about who may or may not have survived.

"Well your mom was still a newborn, and she'd be nearly unstoppable." Jake would say, "And others would protect her to make sure that she could keep the mind shields on them." It was always convincing to believe him. And I wanted to so badly. "And Edward. Well he had that annoying ability to read minds so he would always have the upper hand, right?"

But I'd always find some way to counteract him, "My dad was never a great fighter, not quite like Emmett or Jasper. So I don't know." I really hated to always be the negative Nessie in these situations. But they hadn't come for me, so how was I supposed to be positive?

As usual, I was home alone. But this time, it was in an actual home and not just a hotel. Jake and I didn't know how long I would grow for, or when I would stop. But I hadn't even grown an inch for the last four months now, so it seemed like I was done. Which allowed us to have a more permanent setting. We estimated that my body was somewhere between 17 and 20, although really I was only about seven and a half. But it was amazing, since I didn't feel as young as seven but I felt and could think like a mature adult. I was sure things were going to get awkward between me and Jacob, now that we physically looked the same age. But I didn't think about that, knowing that we were nothing more than best friends-like brother and sister almost.

Now that I had seemingly stopped growing, I could exit the house more now, without causing suspicion. But instead, I chose to stay in the quiet home. Jacob had gone out to work, taking a job in an auto shop despite the language barrier. Despite the large amount of money that was given to us, it had depleted much quicker than we expected with all the traveling and hotels and homes. In order to keep us a decent sum of money, Jacob went to work. I was alright with it, giving me more time to think to myself, although I did still enjoy his company.

Right now, I was flipping through the pages of a scrapbook. I never understood why I tortured myself like that, looking through the book that was given to me as a gift from Alice and Rosalie. It was filled with beautiful pictures of family and friends, which is exactly the reason Jacob didn't like me to look at it. He had hid it from me for a long time, but just this morning I had found it. There were a couple pictures of Seth in there, and even one of Lea. Of course he didn't like seeing those, reminding him of his wolf pack and only hoping that some survived. This life on the run killed him just as it killed me, because those wolves were like his brothers...that much I understood. So I was careful not to complain about how much I missed my family, knowing that he missed his too.

I looked carefully through the book, knowing that these pictures did know justice to the faces on the paper. I stared hard and longingly at each one of the faces, but it was all cut short. I heard his car park in our little driveway, and I slammed the book shut shoving it under some papers. If he saw me with the book...well, I don't know what he'd do. But I was afraid of any of the possibilities.

I moved quickly to the couch, lying down, as he opened the door.

As if I had been laying there the entire time, I rose from the couch and greeted him, much more enthusiastically than I probably should have with a simple, "Hi Jake!"


	3. Love

"Hi Nessie!" Jacob greeted me with a smile, he seemed to be pleased that I appeared so happy.

He wore his usual work uniform, and like always it was covered in grease after spending the day underneath cars. Still, I found his scent to be both nice and comforting. "How was your day?" He asked, as he usually did. It was like a broken record, the two of us on the same day to day routine. Next he'd remove the smelly, greasy shirt from his body.

He did so, as I answered, "Fine." My heart never failed to skip a beat as I watched him remove his shirt. Only lately though did I start to feel that way though. Usually he'd come in and remove his shirt after a long day, and I would giggle as I ran up to him and hang off of his arm as he'd lift me up into the air. I was a little big for that now, and this was all getting a little awkward. So I averted my eyes and looked down at my feet as he tossed his shirt over a chair. He sat down on the couch beside me, looking at the blank television in confusion.

"What have you been up to all day?" He asked, laying back while putting one hand on my back.

I leaned into him, hoping to mask the fact that I was about to lie to him, "Nothing, really. Just some tv...and sleep..." my eyes flicked to the table where the scrapbook lay hidden under some papers. Jake's eyes followed mine, and noticed the tone in my voice was a little off.

He started to stand up saying, "Really? What's over there, then?" But as he stood up I grabbed his arms and yanked him back down, taking him off guard.

He gave me a stern look, and I frowned right back at him, "You never tell me about what goes on at work, so why don't you right now? You need to stop worrying about me and what I do all day." I said, somewhat accusingly. It seemed to work, and Jake relaxed against the couch again.

"Well," he started with a sigh. He continued to talk about some of the things that went on at work, knowing that I would find them relatively boring. But I was good listener anyways. I leaned against him again, inhaling that wonderful scent that his werewolf body produced. I never understood why vampires didn't like that smell, it was marvelous in my opinion. But before I knew it, my eyes were closed, proving that I had in fact lied about sleeping earlier. As I drifted off into sleep, I was barely conscious of Jacob moving my head off of him and slipping a pillow in his place. Then I drifted off into sleep.

I woke up to the smell of steak and potatoes. Although I did prefer to have animal blood over human food, it was better to stay inconspicuous and stick to human food, especially since I could survive just fine off of it. I heard the sounds of cooking, then a clashing sound followed by Jacob's cursing. Still barely awake, I decided to hobble into the kitchen to see if he needed any help.

"Smells great." I said softly as I entered our small kitchen. We probably could have afforded a place much bigger than this, but we didn't want to risk wasting all of the money. Jacob didn't even look up as I entered, but rather carried on as if I hadn't said a thing. "Need any help?" I mumbled sleepily, assuming that he hadn't heard me in the first place. Again, no answer. He just finished up what he was doing and within minutes I had a plate of steak and mashed potatoes being handed to me. Still, Jake made no eye contact with me. It was really frustrating, and I quickly placed the plate down on the counter so I could turn and face him again with my hands on my hips. "What the hell is wrong?" I asked, that being the closest thing to a curse word I had ever used.

Jacob looked up at me, seemingly angry, "Why don't you tell me?" I was confused, as he finished plating his food and nudged past me to get to the couch.

I grabbed my food and followed him, about to ask what he meant. But I didn't need to. As I was about to set my plate down on the coffee table, I saw exactly why he was acting as he did. The scrapbook lay on the table, uncovered and out in the open. "Oh." Was all I said, with a sigh as I sat down a decent distance from him.

"Why do you torture yourself like that?" He asked softly, looking down at the table.

I shrugged, although I knew he couldn't see me. In my own soft whisper I said, "We have to go back."

I knew Jacob would have none of it, as he always got fussy whenever I attempted to have him take me back. This time, there was no anger in his voice. Still quiet, he answered, "You know we can't Ness. If the wrong people survived, you know they'll kill you."

"If I don't go find out if the 'wrong people' survived or not, this grief and anxiety will kill me." I answered honestly, "Then everything will have been done in vain." I looked up at him, knowing that he so desperately wanted to go back too.

Before I knew it, Jacob was beside me with his arms around my shoulders, "I can't loose you Nessie! I don't want to risk that happening if we go back! I love you!"

I was startled by that outburst, but I managed to say, "I love you too, Jake. You know that."

He shook his head as he took my face in both of his hands, "No, Nessie. I _really_ love you."


	4. Imprinting?

I was momentarily speechless as Jacob spoke those words, but it quickly wore off and was replaced with anger. He still held my face in his hands and looked directly into my eyes. I met his gaze, trying to decipher what exactly he meant. As I did so, he slowly leaned in towards me. When I realized just what he was doing, I pushed off of him and flung myself backwards.

"Jake!" I gasped with the shock taking over again, "You don't have to try and lie to keep me here! I'm still going to visit Forks and see if anyone is alive!"

He was taken aback, "What makes you think I'm lying? Ness, I'm serious I love you..." he trailed off at the end, making it much less convincing.

I shook my head, inching away as he tried to scoot closer. It was strange, I had never wanted to be far away from Jake. I didn't even want to now, and I actually wanted to kiss him back. But I couldn't give in and let him win. I couldn't be trapped here again. Besides, I was certain it was all a lie. "My dad told me..." I trailed off, not wanting to get him in trouble.

Jake almost growled, "What the hell did Edward tell you?" He seemed angry. I knew that my dad didn't get along very well with Jacob, partly because the whole werewolf/vampire feud. But partly because...

I sighed, "I know you love my mom Jacob. Dad told me...you tried to _win _her like she was some kind of prize. You even..._kissed_ her." I sounded sort of disgusted. Although I wasn't too comfortable with closing the distance right now, I still bent in towards him and placed my hand on the side of his face to show him the entire conversation as I remembered it.

He was quiet for a good couple of minutes before saying, "So, he didn't tell you everything?"

"That's all I was told," I answered with a shrug.

He took a deep breath, and I had the feeling that this would be a long story. "As a werewolf, there are certain things we can and can't do, and things that happen to us. One of those things is what we call 'imprinting'," he spent a good fifteen minutes describing it to me, and I was utterly fascinated by the concept. It sounded so lovely and romantic. But I was still completely caught off guard by the next part, "And when I first caught a glimpse in your eyes, I had a feeling like nothing I had ever felt before. And I knew that I had imprinted on you. I came to believe that I was so close to your mom because you were a part of her all along. I feel nothing for her anymore, just a friendship. And you...well, I'll be anything you need me to be." He smiled reassuringly, but I couldn't answer. I just stared at him, slack jawed.

Could I really _love_ him? Deep down, I knew I had all along. As soon as I started looking and feeling older, the way I felt about him had started to change too. That was what had caused all of the awkwardness. But...I couldn't do it. I couldn't pretend to be happy for him, not when I was still agonizing over my family.

"I _have_ to go back." I whispered after about five minutes of silence, "_Someone_ can tell me what happened." I nodded, as if I were talking to myself.

Rather than protest, as I had naturally expected him to, Jacob answered with, "Give me a week, and I'll come with you."

I nodded, with a smile and adding a quick hug. But Jacob made the hug longer, and added a quick kiss to my forehead. Slightly embarrassed, I retreated to my room to start packing for the trip.


	5. Back In La Push

Although Jake made it seem like he was ok with the travel back to Forks, he made me make some compromises with him. One being that we would visit La Push before anything else. Then in Forks, we'd visit Charlie before going to the Cullen house. And once we were at the Cullen house, Jacob would enter first just to make sure. It was a lot to bargain with, but agreed since I was so happy that I was finally able to go back.

It had all seemed to take too long. The week of waiting while Jake sold the house, the car, and quit his job, and the entire flight over to Washington. It was all _so long._ But we finally landed in the airport and rented a car. My stomach was all messed up as we drove closer and closer to La Push, twisting and turning with butterflies. I even made Jake pull over twice, although it never turned out to be anything as urgent as it felt. I was anxious, praying that there were some wolves still alive. But I was also anxious because I wanted to get this over with and go home. _Seven years is a long time_, I told myself, _But they're ok. They just couldn't find me._

I was terrible at convincing myself.

Jake turned a corner into a familiar land. I glanced over at him while he looked longingly at the woods that surrounded us. I had only been to La Push a couple times, to visit Billy and some of the other wolves. They were nice enough to bend the treaty for me that way. As the forest area starting turning into housing, we noticed how quiet it all seemed. It was odd, unusual, with the strange sensation that we were being watched. I subconsciously took Jake's hand, the one that was resting, and fit my fingers through his. It was amazing how well our hands fit together...

Finally, after what seemed like years, Jacob pulled up to a stop outside his old house. It was always quiet over there, but not today. Billy was there, looking haggard and worn out in his little wheelchair. But so was Charlie, and Sue Clearwater was there holding his hand. A couple others were there, looking unfamiliar to me, as they all stood outside the small house talking to each other. Not one glanced up at the car as we drove up. I tried to figure out who the two others were, but it was incredibly difficult. They both still seemed very young, but the years had clearly been unkind to them. But I recognized the tatoos on their arms, which were wrapped around their knees as they sat on the ground, and I realized that they were werewolves. For a moment I felt hope, but then I realized that there was a possibility that these two were new werewolves, and Jacob could be the only remaining survivor.

The sixth person I knew I didn't recognize, clearly not having been born before I left. It was a little boy, looking about three years old. But hey? What did I know about how old someone looks? The kid was running in circles around the other five before getting scooped up by Charlie and kissed on the cheek. It only took me seconds to realize that Charlie had another kid, and it did bring a smile to my face, "Good for him." I muttered to myself.

Jacob either didn't hear me, or just didn't answer, because as I said that he stepped out of the car. I followed suit, closing my door quietly, but Jacob slammed his shut. To attract attention, no doubt, and it worked. All eyes turned to us, even the child gave us a quick glance before burying his face into Charlie's leg. All faces lit up with recognition at Jacob, and it looked like Billy was about to cry.

"Jacob?" He called, rolling his chair towards us. I walked a few good paces behind him, to try and stay out of sight remembering that Charlie didn't know about vampires, just werewolves.

Jacob picked up his pace to reach his dad quicker, "Hey Dad." he said with a smile before leaning down to give the man a hug. Charlie and Sue were over by his side instantly, both giving him greetings hugs. The other two, who had been sitting, stood up as if they were surprised to see Jacob. But once they saw me behind him, they sat back down, looking solemn again. _What strange behavior_, I thought to myself, but shook my head. Maybe it was my scent. I was sure it was just luck that Jacob didn't find it repulsive.

I turned my attention back to Jake and everyone else, who were still embracing him. I smiled at the sight...Jake seemed so happy. I listened from a distance as they all spoke to each other, and Charlie introduced the child, whose name was Blake. They didn't seem to notice me, but that was alright, since it was probably better that Charlie didn't recognize me, or else I'd have some explaining to do.

My eyes had drifted from the scene in front of me to my feet within a few minutes, as I waited for him to finish up and get any information he needed. But as I was waiting, I heard Charlie's voice silence everyone else. "Well I'll be..." He said, almost in wonder. I looked up to see what he was talking about. Of course, he was looking directly at me and that shouldn't have come as a surprise to me. "I thought I'd never see you again either." He took a step closer to me, as if he was awestruck.

I smiled at him, surprised he recognized me and already think up excuses as to why I was so grown up already. But I'd put that conversation off as long as I would be able to. "Hi Charlie. How have you been?"

I had a feeling that the answer wasn't going to be a good one.


	6. Werewolves?

All eyes were turned to Charlie and I now, even little Blake peeked up at us from where he was now in his mom's arms. Jacob watched us, looking slightly nervous.

But Charlie sighed, moving awkwardly towards me, as if he wanted to hug me. "I'm alright. Gosh, I can't get over how big you are! Has it really been that long since I've seen you?"

I glanced up at Jacob, who nodded in encouragement, before I proceeded to answer him, "It's been a while." That seemed like a decent enough answer, after all he knew about my "condition" that caused me to grow too fast. Or at least what my parents had told him.

Charlie nodded, "It's felt like forever." I was getting worried, since he hadn't brought up my mom yet. But those thoughts came too soon, "I thought I'd never see you again, since I haven't heard from Bella in years."

"How many years?" I asked, a little excited, and a little quickly.

Charlie's brow furrowed as I said that, but he shrugged and answered, "I don't know. The last time I saw her was when she picked you up from my house all those years ago. And you were so tiny." He lowered his hand to show how tall I had been. My heart dropped. That didn't mean that my family didn't survive. It could just mean that they hadn't kept in touch with Charlie so he wouldn't know about them being vampires. I hoped that's what it meant, at least.

I couldn't say anything more to him, because I felt like crying. As soon as I saw Charlie I was hoping that he would be able to tell me more about the Cullens. Of course, I had gotten my hopes up too soon. Charlie didn't know what to say, and he rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to figure that out, "Well, it's good to see you again Renesmee. I've missed you." I looked up at him and smiled when he said that, and took a couple steps closer to him before wrapping my arms around his waist. He patted my back with a smile before turning back to the others and saying, "I can't believe my grand daughter is a teenager. I feel like an old man."

Billy muttered something along the lines of "You are and old man Charlie." Then they laughed, exchanging a few fun insults. It was good to see that they were still happy.

Jake was by my side again, putting his hand on my lower back. I had turned my eyes towards the two werewolves that were sitting down staring at the dirt. I still couldn't put my finger on it, but why did they look so familiar? Jacob was looking at them too, when I glanced at his face, and he was squinting his eyes. Finally he said, "Paul? Seth? Is that you?" I gasped, realizing that I did know who they were. They just looked so different...older...

They looked up as they heard their names, and stood to greet their old friend. But their faces held no trace of happiness, and their eyes looked lost. They shook hands with Jake as he said, "You guys are okay? Where's everyone else?"

"Dead." Paul mumbled. He motioned for us to follow them as they took a seat on the ground again. I sat on a rock, not wanting to get dirty, and Jacob sat on the ground behind us. Seth followed Paul around like a puppy and sat beside him. "Have you had any contact with the Cullens at all?"

When he said their names, my heart jumped. Did that mean they were alive? Jacob answered, since I seemed incapable of it. I was vaguely aware of Charlie, Sue, and Billy talking softly nearby. "No, we haven't yet. That's why we came back."

"Well they aren't in Forks. Hell only knows if they're even alive still." Paul mumbled, and glanced to see if I would get angry. I didn't, just worried as usual, and he continued talking. "So who knows if they are alive? But as far as we know, Seth and I are the only surviving wolves."

I gasped, remembering how many of them there were. Some of them were so young too. Younger than Seth had been. The fight must have been terrible, and I felt a tear fall down my cheek. Jacob's finger was there to wipe it from my face.

Paul sighed, "I don't like telling this story, but I suppose you guys deserve to know. Get comfortable. It's long, and it doesn't have a good ending."

What story in my life did have a good ending so far?

Nothing...yet.


	7. A Story From Paul

Jacob leaned back on both hands and I scooted down to the ground next to him, leaning my head on his shoulder. We both looked into Paul's sad eyes as he took in a deep breath to speak. Seth hadn't even spoken a word yet... The tears were already starting to fall down my cheeks, and the story hadn't even started yet. Just thinking about how many lives were lost for the wolves was so incredibly sad. But it also worried me.

If so many wolves died...how many vampires died?

But it also gave me hope, because if wolves did survive, then maybe some other vampires did too. Or maybe I was just getting my hopes up. I decided not to psych myself out until Paul finished his story. I shuddered a little, not from the cold or anything, and Jake wrapped his arm around my shoulder. I really did love him, and I suppose I should have been happy that one half of my life was still alive. I felt sort of bad that I had focused too much on the other half.

Paul interrupted those thoughts when he started speaking.

"As you guys know, it was getting tense. Those leeches were looking for any reason to attack us, and trying to force us to make the first move. Which is exactly why you left, since we all thought they'd be successful at it. You guys ran off when that one sister was killed right? And the other sisters got angry." He asked, and we both nodded. That was the last thing I saw before we left, apart from my parents faces, was Irina getting killed for being wrong about me. That's when my family decided it was a good time to leave. Paul continued, "Well, your exit was exactly what set them off. One of them yelled, 'Hey, they're running from us!' And the rest of them looked really pissed off. The leader, or so it looked like that's who it was, said something like, 'We don't like it when our authority is ignored, and when rules aren't followed. Call them back or pay the consequences.'

"Well, of course, nobody wanted to call you back. The Cullens and friends wanted to protect Renesmee, and us wolves just wanted to rip apart some vampires. While Edward, who seemed to take control of our group, told them that they weren't going to call them back unless it was safe...well, that's when it all started. It started slow, with the Volturi crowd racing at us with one command. A lot of them stayed back...I think I heard someone mention they were witnesses, but most of them rushed forward. The Cullens were the first to react, followed shortly by their leech friends. Then we all stepped in.

"It was hard to see what exactly was going on, and remember all of it. Jake, you know how when you are in battle the adrenaline just takes over and you don't really know what exactly you are doing...just killing. Well, that was no exception, it was like I was on a high. Ripping one vampire apart after another. But it seemed like there was a never ending amount. I did catch sight of a few things. Like Bella," Paul glanced at me as he said her name, "She was intent on getting to someone. But all the Volturi wanted her dead, and all our guys wanted to do everything to protect her so she could protect us all. So instead of just sit behind all those that were guarding her, she dragged them all straight to that guy. I would know because Sam ordered me an' Seth to help protect her once we saw she was on the move. People must have thought she was royalty or something. Well she got to him, calling 'Demetri' or something but Seth and I took care of the guy.

"I was also amazed at these two big burly leeches on our side knocking everyone out of their way to get to the little blond looking demon girl. One of them lost a hand as he tried to get to her, but he payed that no attention. They just ran straight to her, barreling through anyone in their way regardless of what side they were on. You should have seen the look of terror in her face, like she knew what was coming. I was surprised that the little girl even took one down, but the other one crushed her instantly.

"What also helped us were a couple of those other gifted leeches. You could see a few guys wandering around like they were in a completely different place and running straight into trees and rocks! Others were falling into holes in the ground that just appeared right at their feet. It was a great distraction so us wolves could get them while they were down. It all seemed like it was going great, but the Volturi started to force those who weren't there to fight into the battle. Some refused and were killed instantly, which forced most of the others to abide. Those that didn't just ran off, not wanting to fight us. That's when it all started going downhill. I saw our own kind fall out of the corner of my eye, and I lost count of how many we lost. I just focused on getting as many as I could. I watched Embry die. I tried to help him, as he was surrounded by four vampires and I ran to him but I got stuck in a fight of my own. As I finished off the vampire I was fighting, I went to go help Embry, but I was too late and I could only watch as they all crushed his body.

"As for everyone else, well they were dropping like flies, wolves and vampires alike. It was just one giant massacre and the enemies looked like they were finally starting to enjoy it. I'll admit, I'm not sure if any Cullens went down while I was there. It was too hard to tell. I think out of the corner of my eye I saw the blond Cullen surrounded by a ton of them and taken down. But it could have been someone else." He quickly added the last part when he saw the increasing horror in my eyes. The entire story was too much, I wasn't used to this much brutality. And who would the blond Cullen be? It couldn't have been Jasper since he wasn't there, right? So he must have seen Carlisle or Rosalie. I know he saw it, because it wasn't too convincing when he said it could have been someone else. And my heart felt like it got ripped out just thinking about either one of them being hurt.

But Paul carried on, unaware of how this was affecting me, "It came down to three of us. Sam, Seth and I. I know for sure the rest of them are dead. I saw their bodies with my eyes, and it was a horrible scene." He shook his head and closed his eyes as he remembered it all. I tried not to imagine what it would look like to see tons of wolf and human bodies all mangled all over the place. But it was a hard sight not to imagine. Paul kept his eyes closed as he finished his story up, "Sam ordered us to leave. I had to follow, alpha orders. I didn't want to, which is why I protested like hell, but Sam was stubborn. He only asked Seth to leave, to try and help preserve the ways of the wolves in case there were more in the future. I ran off, unwilling, and Seth followed. That was the last we saw of everyone. Sam was determined to stay back, but he also didn't want us to die. I understand, I'm just angry because maybe had we stayed, Sam would have come back. It's just something that we'll never know." Paul shook his head again, and Seth looked down to the ground.

"Two days later we returned to the field, after Sam never came home. We were both still so tired and sore from the battle, but we wanted to find Sam. But when we went there we found nothing. Nothing but ash. No Sam, no Cullens, no bodies. It was all empty grass covered in ash. We checked the Cullen house, but it was empty, and we checked the surrounding forest but found nobody. It was as if nothing happened. Like everyone had been destroyed. But _someone_ lit the place on fire. We hoped it was Sam, and that he was in La Push looking for us. But it's been seven years since anyone has seen him...he's gone." The last part was in a small whisper, and Jacob and I both knew that Paul would say no more.

I hadn't really realized that I had buried my face into Jake's chest while I cried. But when I looked up at Jake, knowing that he was in pain thinking about his brothers being dead. But he just looked at me and smiled sadly as he tried to wipe away my tears. He whispered very quietly the words, "You are worth it."

I felt my gut get wrenched out of my stomach. Was I, one life, really worth all those that had died? I was one person...who cared if I was one of a kind or not, all those people fought to protect me. They succeeded, and died. And I was to blame. It was a horrible feeling, and it only made the tears come faster. Jacob pulled me into a hug, and I rested my head on him comfortably as the tears kept rolling down.

It took me a few minutes to gather myself again, and I used those few moments to see what Charlie was doing, but they weren't there anymore. I must not have heard them go inside, but Billy must have done that knowing that this story was coming. Poor Charlie was surrounded by a huge secret that would make his life so much easier if he knew.

Jacob still held me close, although I wasn't crying any longer. I felt like such a baby, but he made me feel much better about that. Still, hearing that story didn't help me much. There were still so many unanswered questions. Somebody out there could tell me who died and who survived. Somebody could lead me to my family.

"I want to see the battleground." I said aloud, for Jacob, Paul, and Seth to hear. All three looked at me as if I were some masochistic little idiot.


	8. Realization

I was going to torture myself by going there, no doubt about it. But I _had _to go. It was like I was slowly gaining more puzzle pieces to this mystery, and somehow that battleground held another piece to the puzzle. I would go back whether Jacob was willing to take me or not.

Without saying anything, I turned towards the house to go say goodbye to Charlie, but it seemed like Jacob was on board with my idea, since he was asking Paul and Seth if they would come along. As I walked towards the house slowly, I listened in on their conversation, not really caring to put a name to the voices I heard although I was almost certain Seth still wouldn't be talking.

"You guys can come, really. We'd be glad to have you, and maybe this will answer some questions."

"We've already been there, I don't want to go back."

"Not just there, I'm sure that's not the last place we'll go. Nessie won't stop until she finds someone that can lead her to her family, maybe even Sam."

"Sam's dead."

"You don't know for sure."

"I do. He would have come back. For Emily if not for us."

"Then maybe the people that survived were the ones who killed him. You can help us find them."

As the next answer was coming, I stepped inside, and out of hearing range.

"Charlie?" I called. There was no answer, and I listened closely. They weren't in the house. I walked back outside, slamming the door behind me and running to the other side of the house almost frantic. Where had they gone? I didn't even realize I had started calling Charlie's name. As I was running in circles around the house like a mad woman, the entire time Paul's story was running through my head, a pair of hands grabbed me and pulled me towards them. I didn't even know I was crying again.

"Nessie," they whispered gently, I couldn't see because my eyes were blurry, "Ness! They just went fishing. All of them. Charlie's ok." It was Jacob. He kept me close to him and whispered to me until I stopped acting so hysterical. He must have thought I was crazy, and frankly I was. Especially since that outburst didn't have much to do with Charlie not being there. I just didn't want him to get hurt, as far as I knew Charlie was the only relative in Forks I had left. Apart from my new uncle, Blake. But I didn't know Blake...I knew Charlie.

It took several minutes before I calmed down and I whispered, "I just wanted to say goodbye."

"We'll see him again." He smiled encouragingly, before leading me back to the rental car. In the back seat sat Paul and Seth, which meant they were coming with us. He opened the passenger door for me before getting into the driver seat and starting the car, "Well, off to the battlegrounds now." He said, slightly unenthusiastic.

I couldn't imagine why.

The drive seemed to go by quick. But that was probably because it only took us halfway there. The other half we had to walk, or in our case we ran it. They boys didn't really want to run, but once I started and Jake followed, the other two grudgingly did so as well. It took a good fifteen minutes, since it had been planned that this would be as far from Forks as possible, and that was running at our speeds. Of course, I was faster than the wolves when they were in their human forms. They could have changed to save time, but they were clearly in no rush.

I would have walked right past it, had I been looking for what Paul described. But I had remembered the location. But the grass and flowers had flourished over the ashes, it was actually...beautiful.

I walked to the center of the field, looking around me slowly. The boys stood on the outskirts, looking down. I saw where my family had stood and waited, and I saw where the Volturi entered. I saw the bushes in which Jake and I ran through to get away. From there, nothing else I recognized. There were fallen trees, from vampires getting smashed into them most likely. I walked around and touched a couple of them, before I spotted a boulder. The boulder was surrounded by smaller rocks, or so I thought. In reality, the boulder had actually been smashed, with it's pieces all around it. There were giant gash marks in the large bolder itself, and my fingers traced them. Did a werewolf do that? It looked too big to be done by a vampire, but too deep and precise to be done by a werewolf. In the end, I assumed it was actually a vampire that made the gauge. I felt bad for whoever was standing there.

The rest of the scene looked normal, and to my dismay none of my questions were answered by coming here. It was just like being in any empty field. Still, I couldn't help but shudder knowing that I was standing on top of ashes.

As I twirled around slowly once more, looking at the place for one last time before I decided to leave, something caught my eye. There was a gleam under the rock. It could have easily just been a fleck on the rock being reflected, but my curiosity made me check. I bent down, pushing the pebbles and dust off of it, revealing the silver oval attached to a black silk lace. I pulled it out and wiped it off, getting a better view. It was so familiar...I'd seen it somewhere before. On someone...

Then the realization struck. I knew exactly who it belonged to, but it didn't make any sense since they weren't even at the battle. But it all clicked, seeing this small necklace. It had been around the neck of it's owner every day, never had I seen it off. I was horrified coming to a realization, and with a gasp, another puzzle piece had been added.

But it didn't help me in any way. It actually hurt. Stung the heart, to be exact, like piercing needles. And from that moment I knew that one of my best hopes for finding out what happened might not be able to help me anymore.

Alice and Jasper had come back.


	9. Another Vampire?

Of course I only had proof that Alice had come back, but it was only common sense that Jasper had followed. Had I not been able to locate my family anywhere, the plan was to look for those two since I felt that they would be able to help me. But if they'd come back...

I didn't even want to think of the possibilities. I felt myself starting to shake, but I didn't cry this time. I was actually angry. Not that I had any reason to be, because it wasn't their fault for coming back to help their family. Unlike me, just running away from the situation, because that seemed to do a whole lot of good for everyone else...yeah right.

Jacob had come up behind me, while I was still kneeling on the ground, curious as to what I found. He squatted down beside me, placing a hand on my shoulder and asked, "Whatcha got there?"

I held it up so he could have a clear view and I murmured, "It's Alice's necklace."

"That's impossible. I thought she left." He said, grabbing at it confused, "Are you sure it's hers?" I nodded, positive that she was the only one who wore that kind of necklace. He held it up to his nose and sniffed it. "It doesn't smell like her, it smells like another leech. One I don't recognize..."

I frowned, "It shouldn't smell like _anything_ but dust and dirt. It's been seven years since it's been touched."

Jacob shook his head, and handed it back to me. I stuffed it into my pocket, "Another leech has found it before you."

"Are you sure you aren't smelling me?"

"You don't smell like the rest of them, Nessie." He added with a chuckle, "This is definitely a full vampire."

I shook my head, none of it making much sense. Paul and Seth had come over, looking curious since they had been able to hear our conversation.

"Jasper and Alice weren't there, right?" Jacob asked. He was getting wary, as if he was starting to think this was a trap.

Paul shrugged, but Seth answered, speaking for the first time, "They came in the middle of the fight. I only know because the blond one pulled a vampire off of me." He shrugged and then looked down at his feet again. Well, there was another blond one that could have been the guy that Paul saw get ripped up. I shuddered, again praying that it was none of my family members that Paul had seen. I reached for Jake's hand and grasped it tightly.

But as I did so, he pushed me away and stepped in front of me. He smelled the air, and with a growl in his voice he muttered, "Vampire."

"A Cullen?" Paul asked, suddenly getting alert. The closest to his old self that I'd seen yet.

"No." Jacob answered sternly, while backing up so I was directly behind him. I grabbed on to the back of his shirt, but peeked around his side to see if I could spot the vampire.

It seemed like it was a few minutes in which Jacob, Paul, and Seth circled around me watching the bushes for any sign of a vampire. If one got to them before they were in wolf form, they were dead. But I was bigger now, maybe I could help fight. Now that I knew what Jacob thought of me, I knew he wouldn't like that idea much. But I didn't like knowing that he would be fighting for me too. I guess I did sort of love him back the same way...but it was hard to admit it to myself.

Why did those thoughts of him always come up at the worst time possible? When I needed to be focusing on other things. I shook the thoughts off my mind. Maybe I'd tell him later, and just make this easier on the both of us.

As I turned my focus back to what was happening, I caught scent of the vampire too. It definitely wasn't one from my family...but it was still vaguely familiar.

Then he appeared in front of us. Large, brawny, with a devilish smile.

The defining feature of the vampire in front of us though, were his bright red eyes.

He spoke to us. To me. "Hello Renesmee." I shuddered as my named rolled out of his evil lips. Seeing him couldn't mean anything good, and I knew exactly who it was. "I've been looking for you." He was still smiling, and I swallowed hard. How was this possible?

Felix was still alive.


	10. A Quick Battle

If Felix was still alive, then that meant...no, I wouldn't let the thought cross my mind. I remembered him, clear as day, from the time I first saw him. This time he looked incredibly upset now, but I could only imagine why.

The wolves acted instantly, phasing the second he appeared. But he looked ready to fight them, after all was he not the strongest of the Volturi? If any did survive, I'm not surprised it was him. But I was worried, incredibly worried. If he survived the onslaught that went on seven years ago, he could surely survive three werewolves attacking him. And I didn't want Jacob to get hurt.

So the wolves charged without thinking, even though I did want to ask him a few questions. He could have helped ease my mind even if that wasn't his intention. He was probably here to kill me, because he was the sort of guy who would follow an order unless he was killed. He was probably sour, loosing his friends and all, at my cost...which would just be another reason for him to kill me.

But when the wolves charged, I followed right after them. I wouldn't be able to do much more than distract him, but distractions could play in our favor. The wolves jumped at him, trying to get him in their teeth. But Felix knew every move that was coming and simply flicked them off to the side. The went barreling into rocks and trees, but none of them seemed hurt as they got up again to charge once more. But I was there, jumping at him. He wasn't ready for that, so a simple flick of the hand didn't suffice. I was able to tackle him to the ground before he grasped a giant hand around my throat and flipped me on to my back. I grabbed at his hand, unable to breathe.

That only lasted momentarily as he glanced to his side and released me as he went to protect himself from Paul who jumped at him. Again, Paul went flying in the opposite direction but Seth and Jacob were there to attack Felix again. They tried a double attack each attacking on different sides. But it wasn't too unpredictable, and Felix stuck out both of his hands. The wolves ran straight into them, before crashing to the ground. He turned his attention on Seth first, grabbing the half-conscious wolf around the neck and squeezing tight. Paul was unmoving on the ground a few yards away and Jacob was trying to stand up, but struggling. Seth was yelping as he was about to get crushed by the massive vampire.

I had recovered from the little attack I had attempted before, and was quick on my feet again. Sticking my fist out, I went straight for Felix's stomach. I really didn't know how to fight. Jacob had never taught me how to do anything like that, since he'd never expected that I'd need to know. Especially against a vampire, where I was only half as strong as them. Well, normal vampires at least, I'd have to say Felix was definitely much stronger than that.

I had been successful in knocking him slightly off balance, and his grip loosened on Seth, who fell to the floor in a slump. He was still breathing, from what I could hear. But again, Felix had his attention turned on me. It was simple for him. He grabbed my wrist and twisted my arm. Being half-human, I was still very breakable, so that hurt...probably breaking my arm. He pulled me close to him, wrapping an arm around my throat. He must have been aware that I was easily breakable, because he wasn't holding me as tight as he could have been. Still he was holding me tight enough for it to be uncomfortable.

Jacob growled in protest, and got to his feet immediately, but Felix backed up quickly saying, "If you make another move I kill her."

I was confused, and I would have asked him why he didn't kill me already, but I didn't want to push it. From where I was, I was able to see all three wolves. Jacob, whose eyes were filled with helpless worry, and Paul and Seth who were slowly both standing up, but being cautious not to make it seem like they were going to go after Felix.

A low growl escaped Felix's throat as he said, "Keep quiet. All of you. Someone is coming." I looked at what I could see, unable to turn in Felix's grasp, but saw nothing. A rustle came from the bushes about a hundred yards behind me, and I could only watch the wolves reactions. They were all watching the bushes carefully, and we were all wondering if we were just going to be outmatched.

A growl was heard behind me, and all three of the wolves eyes widened in shock. They were struck in disbelief. But at what? Whatever it was growled again, and as I watched the boys, Seth let out a little happy bark. That could only mean one thing, right? Was it really Sam behind me. Felix had turned slightly, but I still couldn't see. He wasn't afraid, because none of them would risk attacking him if he held me. His grip tightened as I heard another pair of footsteps enter the field through the bushes.

I really wish I could see. Was there another werewolf? Did more of them survive?

But a voice spoke from across the field, and I knew it wasn't another werewolf. "Now Felix, do you think it is really necessary to kill her now? I thought this conflict was over with," The female voice chimed. My heart skipped a beat. That voice was very recognizable, and for the first time it was in a good way. I wished that I could break free from Felix's grasp and see.

But all I could do was listen to the voice. As I reached into my pocket and felt the necklace, a tear rolled down my cheek.

For once in a long time, I felt hopeful.


	11. Reunion

I couldn't see, and I couldn't help but think that I was going crazy as I faced death. After all, I'd been feeling a giant mix of emotions lately.

Sadness, tiredness, hopeless, lost, fear, love, and now...hope and happiness? It was all too much, and the tears still rolled down my face and hit Felix's sleeve.

But I knew I couldn't be imagining this, not if Felix was talking to the voice. "I thought we agreed that if I ever saw you again I'd kill you," he said. I could only watch the wolves reactions, who were frozen as I was trapped in Felix's embrace. One false move was all it took. Seth was already swaying, looking on the verge of collapsing again. He'd been hit pretty hard, I was surprised he was alright.

The voice answered him quickly, "You're outnumbered. I don't think you'll try to kill us."

Felix wasn't giving up. He knew that they'd be able to kill him easily. He might take one or two down with him, but there was no way to survive an attack by all of them. Personally, I would have tried to reason with them, because I knew they were reasonable for the most part. Maybe not Paul, but the others...

The only way Felix could really ensure death was by killing me, and I was sure he knew that. So although his grip tightened, I was positive he wasn't going to hurt me unless he wanted to die.

"I'll kill her!" He said angrily, anyways. Jacob looked from behind Felix and I straight into my eyes. I tried not to look afraid, but his eyes were full of worry and there was nothing I could do to help that. It made me sad, to be honest. I didn't want him to have to worry at all, but I was sure he could sense my fear...the fear that I was trying so hard to hide.

I really wished Felix would turn his whole body around, just so I could confirm my suspicions. "There's no need to kill her. Can't you tell she's not dangerous?" Another voice, deeper and quieter, said. I hadn't heard a second person come. Just a wolf and a vampire. Who else was behind me? How many were back?

I knew that my parents weren't there, or they would have tried to attack Felix and get me out. That would have backfired of course, so I suppose I was happy that they weren't here in this situation. But I could still only imagine who was behind me, and picture what they looked like. Felix stiffened as the second person spoke...was he afraid now? God, I wanted to punch his gut just so I could get a view of them. I didn't want to think their names, or get my hopes up just in case it wasn't who I thought it was. After all, it had been so long I could easily mistake their voices for others.

Felix was getting angrier, and frankly I didn't want to be in his arms any longer. He answered with, "She's the reason everybody's dead!" I shuddered, knowing it was the truth. But Jacob, seeing the look in my eyes, growled in protest.

Felix payed him no attention as the first voice spoke again. But I heard the desperation in her voice, (I knew who it was but I still couldn't believe), and that worried me a little. "No! The fight wasn't necessary in the first place, don't you see?" This wasn't going to end soon if Felix wasn't going to suck up his pride and let me go. I had to end it. I had to do something.

For the entire time I had forgotten of my little gift. I didn't like to use it much anymore, unless absolutely necessary, since it reminded me too much of my past. It was painful to be reminded of my past, but Felix had to know this. He had to know everything.

Reaching up with my left hand, since the right one was squeezed against my body, I put my hand up above his cheek. It's a good think I was taller now, or it'd be hard to reach him. But the second my hand touched his face, I felt his body loosen a bit. That's when I knew he was seeing everything I was thinking. I thought back to my first thought, when I was still inside my mother. It was amazing that I could remember that still. Then I remembered back when I was born, the first time I saw my parents, the first time I saw Jacob, my first hunt, Alice and Jasper leaving, all of the vampires showing up at our house, preparing to face the Volturi, leaving my family, the pain and agony of not seeing them for seven years, and the decision to come back . It was a lot to take in, but he had to know how much pain and trouble I'd been through as well. Maybe...just maybe, that might help me.

I seemed to, as he loosened his grip and his arms dropped to his sides. With a sort of gasp, my hand left his face and I fell to the ground. Jake was at my side before I could even blink. I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face into the fur. I had to stand up to do so, though, since he was so darn big.

Felix was backing up slowly, but he spoke softly, "If I ever see any of you again, especially if I'm with the others, I'll follow through on my orders to kill you." That was the last I heard before I heard him quickly disappear into the bushes.

Finally. It was over.

Jake nudged me with his head, and I smiled and patted him. From my peripherals I saw Paul and Seth bound to whoever was behind me, looking happy. Turning my body, I saw the werewolf first. It was hard to tell in the wolf form, but I was positive that Sam was back. He had a hell of a lot of explaining to do, but he'd probably already done most of it through the mental connection. They seemed to forgive him, just happy to see him alive. Jacob nudged me one more time, softly, before bounding over to the other wolves. That's when I looked over to the left side of the wolves, about fifty meters away.

A tear rolled down my cheek once more, although a smile spread out on my face. I still couldn't believe it, although this time I was actually seeing it.

I ran over to them, who were both smiling at me as I came, and I nearly collapsed as I reached them. But one caught me in an embrace, as I had dropped to my knees, overwhelmed. I looked up, laughing and crying at the same time, "Alice! You're alive. You're here." I was hugging her tightly, and Jasper stood behind her, smiling happily. "You're here." I whispered again.

Alice laughed, and said, "Oh Nessie. My have you grown."


	12. A Little Sleep

I didn't know what to say except for, "I'm so happy to see you guys!" As the happy tears rolled down my face.

Alice helped me stand up, and I ran to Jasper giving him a giant hug too. He chuckled, but stiffened as I hugged him. I pulled away, and noticed his black eyes and realized that he was thirsty, "Sorry Jasper," I whispered, "I'm just so glad to see you."

He laughed simultaneously with Alice, then said, "We're happy to see you too. We've been looking all over for you."

"Looking for me?" I was confused.

Alice smiled, "It's hard looking for something you can't...see."

She shrugged, and I giggled knowing exactly what she meant. "Where are my parents?" I asked, hopeful.

"They're fine." Alice answered, "Looking for you actually. I believe they just arrived in France. You know we've scouted the world for you, and we've always been just one step behind you. It's very frustrating." I half-tuned out after she mentioned them in France. We were just there, and had I decided to stay I would have been with them by now! I could have kicked myself. But Alice continued talking, "I only know that because of my visions. We actually lost contact with them about five years ago. It's hard to catch up with them when they are constantly on the move."

That didn't make me feel much better. That just meant that we'd be constantly trying to track them down. Who knew when I was going to see them again. But they were alive, and that was a huge relief in itself. I felt like my puzzle was nearly solved. "Is everyone okay?"

Jasper looked down at his feet, leaving Alice to answer me. She sighed, "Nessie. You look tired. When is the last time you slept?"

I wanted to protest, they were keeping something from me, but she was right. I hadn't been able to sleep since the night before we left. I was utterly exhausted.

Alice didn't give me a chance to answer though before she picked me up. I heard Jacob growl. Despite all that they had been through, vampires and werewolves still didn't seem like they were getting along. Alice payed him no attention and said to me, "You need to get some sleep. Then we will all go find Edward and Bella."

I was about to say something, but then she started running at the incredible vampire speed. I was able to see Jasper follow closely with the wolves right behind. I don't think anyone had a clue as to where we were going until we got there.

The first thing I saw after the run was the giant mansion-house. We were back at the Cullen residence. I hadn't been there since...

Alice didn't set me down until we were inside, and she put me on the couch. I was perfectly capable of walking, but I also didn't want to argue that. I lay down and looked at the surroundings. Everything was still there. Furniture, artwork, props.

Jasper walked into the house shortly after, but he walked slowly taking in the scenery. It looked as if they hadn't been here for the same amount of time as myself. Longer, actually, since they left earlier. He took a seat beside Alice, who sat on the couch opposite of where I lay down. The wolves took longer, but when they came in they were in their human form. Jacob sat beside me, but lifted my head up and set it down on his lap. "Just go to sleep Renesmee." He spoke softly as he stroked my arm. There was a tingling sensation as he stroked it, and it made a small smile appear on my lips. But my eyes were getting heavy, and I struggled to keep them open. I really wish I could, because I didn't want Alice and Jasper to disappear once I woke up again.

My eyes finally won the battle, although I was still slightly conscious and heard parts of a conversation going on.

"Are Bella and Edward really alive?"

"Yes. But they are under the impression that the surviving Volturi have either found Renesmee, or will find her before they do."

"Why do they still want her. Isn't it over?"

"We made an...armistice sort of treaty when the numbers were growing too small. We stopped the battle there. But if we ever encounter the Volturi again, voluntary or not, they can attack us. Of course, we can fight back, but if we are outnumbered then we are done for."

"Then why didn't Felix kill us?"

"He tried."

"How many Volturi even survived?" I tried to continue to listen in on the conversation, but the voices were all starting to sound the same. I was already drifting off into sleep.

"A lot of them."

"How many Cullens survived?"

"Most of us."


End file.
